Compensation / Labor Relations

Public Pay

The public has the right to know the pay and benefits of all public servants. Ventura has long been transparent about pay and benefits. Each year, the schedule of pay and benefits is publicly reviewed and adopted by the City Council (“Salary Resolution" and "Benefits Resolution.”) These documents are available on our website all year along with the schedule of pay ranges for every position in the City. Pay for elected officials is in the City Charter and can only be changed by a vote of the citizens.

Public Officials Appointments

Elected Officials

City Charter Section 601 sets the pay of the Council at $600 a month and allows the Mayor to earn up to $700 a month. This has not been raised for more than twenty years.

Under the charter authorization for “authorized traveling and other expenses while on official duty,” each Councilmember receives $100 a month flat allowance (reduced from $300 a month for the Mayor and $200 a month for Councilmembers as part of balancing the FY 2010/11 budget.)

The City does not contribute toward medical, dental, and vision benefits, but Councilmembers may purchase coverage under the City’s employee benefit plans. Upon request, the City loans members of the Council a smart phone as well as a laptop and printer to be used for official business.

Councilmembers are authorized to attend conferences, workshops and meetings that directly relate to City business (although out of state travel must be authorized by the City Council in open session.) The actual expenses are public records.

In addition to their City Council duties, members of the City Council may also serve as a governing board member or liaison to a variety of local, County and Regional agencies, organizations and projects. The vast majority of these additional assignments are unpaid. In most cases, those assignments are made annually by the Mayor with the approval of the full City Council.

A few of the governing bodies that Ventura Council members participate in provide a "per diem" for each meeting attended (for example, the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the Ventura Regional Santitation District Board.) Where the Mayor or a member of the City Council also serves on the governing board of another agency that pays a per diem to its members, that assignment and the per diem is listed below. These payments are only claimed if a meeting is actually scheduled and the Councilmember attends. Meetings are sometimes skipped or canceled.

Salary & Compensation Information

2016-17 Salary Resolution
A Resolution of the Council of the City of San Buenaventura Providing for a Systematic Classification of Positions and a Standardization of Salaries of Certain Paid Officers and Employees of the City for the 2016-17 Fiscal Year

Current Salaries
Review information about current salaries, listed by job classification.

Employment Contracts / MOUs / Personnel Rules

Regular employees are covered by the Personnel Rules and Regulations adopted by the City Council. Under state law, public employees have the right to "collective bargaining"--the right to be represented by unions regarding "wages, hours and working conditions." Most city employees are represented by one of eight "bargaining units" that are covered by a "Memorandum of Understanding"--union contracts that result from good faith negotiations under the terms of state law. The City Council has also entered into contracts with the City Manager and the City Attorney, spelling out the conditions of their employment. All other employees, including Executive Management are categorized as "unrepresented" or "confidential" (ineligible for union representation because of their job access to confidential personnel matters.)

Fire Management Unit MOU
Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Ventura Fire Management Association (VFMA) July 1, 2016 - December 31, 2018

Fire Unit MOU
Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Ventura City Firefighters' Association (VCFA), International Association of Firefighers', Local 3431, July 1, 2016 - December 31, 2018